Paint roller scraper



March 11, 1958 A. J. BASALA, JR 2,825,916

PAINT ROLLER SCRAPER Filed May 5, 1955 INVENTOR. xm/oesw A $43 940 J1.

United States Patent 2,825,916 PAINT ROLLER SCRAPER Andrew J. Basala, Jrt, Detroit, Mich.

Application May 5, 195's, senal'Ni). 506,294

' Claims. ci.-1s-zs6 paint job'has been completed presents the person usingthe roller with a time consuming and unpleasant task. Accordingly, itis"theprimaryobject ofthis inventionto provide a paintroller cleaning device which is adapted to clean a paint roller quickly andefiiciently.

It is another object of this invention to provide'*a paint roller cleaner which is small in size and light in weight,

and which is easy to use.

It is another object of this invention to provide a paint roller cleaner which is rugged in construction, and economical of manufacture.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a. paint roller cleaning device which includes a pair of oppositely disposed arcuate members adapted to be moved into engagement with the paint roller to be cleaned, in an encircling fashion, and a handle means for biasing said arcuate members into engagement with the roller.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts of the several views.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a second embodiment made in accordance with the principles of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 4, taken along and within the circle marked 5; and,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a paint roller upon which the embodiment of Fig. 1 is shown in an operative position.

Before explaining in detail the present invention, it is to be understood, that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not limitation.

In the drawings, a first embodiment of the invention is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which comprises a paint roller cleaner formed from a single elongated piece of flat strip metal, or the like, which has been bent into a U-shape 2,825,916 Patented Mar. 1 1,. 19 58 2 with a bightjp'ortion'designatedas 1'0. Extending forw'ardly from the? bight portion 10 are the two handle portions 12 and 14. Integrally connected to said handle portions, at the points 16 and 18, are a pair of areuately "ice shaped, r'oller' engaging arms 20 and 22, respectively,

which are oppositely disposed so as to form a substantially, circular areathe're'between. As best seen'i n Fig. l, the arms 20 a'nd 22 are disposed in aplane at substanan right angles-rerun of the handle portions 12 and 10;

The mat of the arms 20 and 22' overlap each other. The outer eiidof the arm 2 0'is" folded backon itself, as" ill't li(iatcij b the numeral 26, With the" fold aldfi-g an a proximate 45 angle. The arm 8nd en foltled over the outer endof' arm 22, as shown bythe' nuir'ierals"28 and 30, to form a' U-shaped slot" or retaining means-for retaining the arm end 32 always adjacent the arrn' 'durin'g a-cleaning operation. The U-shs'pedr'etainin manages and 30, prevents the'arms 20 arid- 221M o'vin'g' apart from each other, in a lateral directioiig -diiri'ng use thereof;

The useof the embodiment oi Fig. 1- is illustrated in Fig. 6,"-wherin is" shown a" paintroller apparatus'handle 34, whichcarries a frame structure generally indicated as=36: o'nwhichfis mounted a paint -roller'shaft 38: Rolla'bly mounted on -the'shaft 38- in the usual'mannei' 'isa paint-roller 40. After'completing a'p'aint jobwiththe paint roller 40, the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 would be slipped over the free end of the paint roller 40. This action is possible because when not in use, the handle portions 12 and 14 will spring outwardly, thus moving the arcuate arms 20 and 22 apart so that the device will easily slip around a paint roller. After the device has been slipped around the roller 40, the paint thereon may be removed by squeezing inwardly on the handle portions 12 and 14, so as to bring the arms 20 and 22 into a tight engagement with the roller, and then moving the device to the right or left, as viewed in Fig. 6. The paint on the roller will be squeezed oif onto the cleaning device, as the arms are moved inwardly, and a scraping action will also be effected when the device is moved lengthwise of the roller 40. It has been found, that this novel squeezing and scraping action provides a quick and eificient cleaning result on a dirty paint roller.

In Figs. 3 through 5, there is illustrated a second embodiment of the invention which is made from a suitable single, elongated rod-shaped metal, or the like. As best seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the round stock, or rod, would be turned and coiled back on itself to form a spring bight portion 42, which is integral with a pair of spaced apart handle portions 44 and 46. The handle portions 44 and 46 are preferably flattened, as at 48 and 50, respectively, to form thumb and finger pressure rests or grips. The rods would be areuately formed, from the forward ends of the handle portions 44 and 46, as indicated at the points 52 and 54, respectively. The areuately formed rod portions would form a pair of oppositely disposed arms 56 and 58, similar to the arms 20 and 22 of the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2.

The outer end of the arm 56 is curved upwardly and then is folded over on itself, as shown at 62 and 64, to form a U-shaped retainer, to retain the outer end 66 of the other arm 58 in close sliding relation to the arm 56. The arcuate arms 56 and 58 are flattened, and, they are similar in shape to the arms 20 and 22, of the embodiment of Fig. 1. The embodiment of Figs. 3 and 4 would be used in the same manner as the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiments of the invention herein disclosed are well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or Y fair meaning of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A paint roller cleaning device of the class described, comprising: a single length of flat strip material including a U-shaped portion medially between the opposite ends 7. of said length of material, and a pair of elongated handles having the rear ends thereof integral with the opposite ends of said U-shaped portion; said handles being normally spaced apart; a pair of semi-circular arms integral with the front ends of said handles and being disposed in confronting relation for gripping of said paint roller therebetween and for squeezing of the paint roller responsive to movement of the handles against the restraint of the U-shaped portion and to movement of the device lengthwise of the paint roller; and each of said arms having a flat face disposed in a plane normal to the plane of the fiat surface of the respective handle with which it is integral, whereby, the paint squeezed from the paint roller will not slide back over the arms when the device 20 is moved lengthwise of the paint roller.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1, wherein: the

w front ends of the arms are slidably interconnected.

arms being flattened in a plane normal to the axis of the circle formed by said arms; a handle connected to the rearward end of each of said arms, whereby, said arms may be manually moved into engagement with the circular surface of a paint roller for scraping and squeezing the paint therefrom; each of said handles being provided with a flat finger rest adjacent the forward end thereof; the forward ends of said arcuate arms being slidably interconnected; and, the outer ends of said handles being integrally joined by a means which normally biases said handles apart to a position of rest.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 4, wherein: the forward end of one of said arcuate arms is provided with a laterally extending U-shaped extension in which the forward end of the other arcuate arm slides to provide said slidable interconnection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 619,949 Flynn Feb. 21, 1899 907,857 Nelson Dec. 29, 1908 1,913,606 McKenna June 13, 1933 2,466,200 Biro Apr. 5, 1949 2,493,588 Martin Jan. 3, 1950 2,661,858 Howell Dec. 8, 1953 2,761,165 Krzanowski Sept. 4, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 277,093 Switzerland Nov. 16, 1951 

